onality. This woman was not seeing her, despite that
wide, wistful, yearning gaze; she was thinking of something else, seeing
some one else.

And suddenly Luke Todd's wife began to stare at the visitor very hard,
and to think of something that was not before her.

"I be the ranger's wife," said Eugenia. "I kem over hyar ter tell ye he
never tuk yer black mare nowise but honest, bein' the ranger."

She found it difficult to say more. Under that speculative, unseeing
look she too faltered.

"They tell me ez Luke Todd air powerful outed 'bout'n it. An' I 'lowed
ef he knowed from me ez 'twar tuk fair, he'd b'lieve me."

She hesitated. Her courage was flagging; her hope had fled. The eyes of
the man's wife burned upon her face.

"We-uns useter be toler'ble well 'quainted 'fore he ever seen ye, an' I
'lowed he'd b'lieve my word," Eugenia continued.

Another silence. The sun was rising; long liquescent lines of light of
purest amber-color were streaming through the snowy woods; the shadows
of the fence rails alternated with bars of dazzling glister; elusive
prismatic gleams of rose and lilac and blue shimmered on every
slope--thus the winter flowered. Tiny snow-birds were hopping about;
a great dog came down from the little snow-thatched cabin, and was
stretching himself elastically and yawning most portentously.

"An' I 'lowed I'd see ye an' git you-uns ter tell him that word from me,
an' then he'd b'lieve it," said Eugenia.

The younger woman nodded mechanically, still gazing at her.

And was this her mission! Somehow it had lost its urgency. Where was its
potency, her enthusiasm? Eugenia realized that her feet were wet,
her skirts draggled; that she was chilled to the bone and trembling
violently. She looked about her doubtfully. Then her eyes came back to
the face of the woman before her.

"Ye'll tell him, I s'pose?"

Once more Luke Todd's wife nodded mechanically, still staring.

There was nothing further to be said. A vacant interval ensued. Then,
"I 'lowed I'd tell ye," Eugenia reiterated, vaguely, and turned away,
vanishing with the vanishing mists.

Luke Todd's wife stood gazing at the fence through which the apparition
had peered. She could see yet her own face there, grown old and worn.
The dog wagged his tail and pressed against her, looking up and claiming
her notice. Once more he stretched himself elastically and yawned
widely, with shrill variations of tone. The calf was frisking about in
awkwar